Commercial Crabbers Want Your Crab Too!

[Nelly]

This is unbelievable!
Check out the Commercial Puget Sound Crabbers Propaganda Website Get this! It's called "Save Puget Sound Crab"

They should call it "Save Puget Sound Crab for the Commercial Fishermen who want to sell it out of state and out of the country!"

Tomorrow the Commercial Crabbers injunction will be heard in Olympia.

Make no mistake, they are not happy about the allocation shift.

All I want as a recreational fisherman is the opportunity to catch a few crab on the weekend and share them with friends and family.

The Commercial crabbers have a problem with that.

I believe that the natural resources of Puget Sound should benefit all it's citizens and the local economy. When Seafood companies own several licenses and sell the crab out of state and off shore, there is little to no benefit to the State of Washington.

When a Recreational crabber buys boats, motors, fuel, food, crab bait, crab gear and pays launch and license fees there is a DIRECT BENEFIT to the local economy and the State.

It's up to us, the citizens of this state, to determine how we will spend the currency of our natural resources. It makes no sense to allow a greedy few to keep it all for themselves.

[Salmonhawk]

Here is what the commercial crabbers don't want you to know.

2007-2010
Non-tribal 773 violations equaling 193.25 violations per year. 193.25 violations per year divided by 155 crabbers that hold 249 licenses equals 124% violation rate.

2011 Jan. 1 thru Feb. 1
32 days and 74 violations for Non-tribal commercial crabbers.

Many of these commercial permits are held by wealthy individuals with some holding up to 21 permits. These are not family businesses just trying to get by.

[Ryan]

They are like spoiled children. They won't share, aren't interested in playing fair, and don't take responsiblity for their actions.

[Nelly]

Does anybody know how many days the commercial shrimp fishermen get per year or what the allocation is?
I think that two days of recreational shrimping is a bit on the stingy side.
Whaddya say we look into this???

[Salmonhawk]

I'm behind you Nelly 100%.